It Happened On #27

It’s It Happened On time again! I wonder how many people actually read this…

It happened on October 24 2003… The supersonic Concorde jet (flying at twice the speed of sound) makes its last flight. It flew from New York City’s John F. Kennedy International Airport to London’s Heathrow Airport. The British Airways jet carried 100 passengers, including actress Joan Collins, model Christie Brinkley, and an Ohio couple who reportedly paid $60,000 on eBay for two tickets (a roundtrip trans-Atlantic fare typically cost about $9,000)

Because of rising operating costs and reduced ticket sales, British Airways retired its Concorde fleet in October 2003. Air France, the only other Concorde carrier, had permanently grounded its jets in May 2003. After the Concords retirement, an auction was held for its parts. A blanket sold for $2,000, a door sold for $33,000, and a needle nose sold for $550,000

Also on October 24 1901, a 63-year-old schoolteacher named Annie Edson Taylor becomes the first person to take the plunge over Niagara Falls in a barrel. After a brief flurry of photo-ops and speaking engagements, Taylor’s fame cooled, and she was unable to make the fortune she had hoped for

Going over Niagara Falls is illegal and survivors face charges and stiff fines on either side of the border

Also on October 24 1992, the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves in the sixth game of the World Series to win the championship. It was the first time a Canadian team had ever won the trophy. The Blue Jays’ 25-man roster included several players of Puerto Rican descent, a Jamaican, three Dominicans and no actual Canadians

Too bad the Toronto Maple Leafs can’t win the Stanley Cup. The last time they won was 1967. Sad